Culture

Belgian writer Tom Naegels writes ‘Most Important Book of the Year’

28 September 2022

Belgian writer Tom Naegels has won the first edition of the prize for the ‘Most Important Book of the Year’ (Belangrijkste Boek van het Jaar), a new prize for Flemish and Dutch non-fiction.

Belgium's (f)estival season comes to an end

21 September 2022

September brings the end of summer, but in Belgium, it also marks the end of another season altogether: festival season.

Hôtel Tassel: the first Art Nouveau house

08 September 2022

Listed since 1976, the Hôtel Tassel, together with architect Victor Horta's house-studio, the Hôtel Solvay and the Hôtel van Eetvelde with its extension, form part of the "Major Town Houses

Battle of Waterloo: Casualties suffered gruesome fate

24 August 2022

Contemporary archival material already indicated that the bones of fallen soldiers were unearthed and ground down into bone meal, which was subsequently used as fertiliser for the fields (see FOB 27 J

Lous and The Yakuza a promising talent

18 August 2022

She was already making a splash in 2021 by being listed in Forbes magazine as one of the most promising talents on the European scene.

A country of legends and thrills

The constant contact with other peoples and cultures hasn't been without its effects in terms of art and culture, both in the past and the present day. A true crossroads of the major influences of art, Belgium has always been home to a large number of artists and frequently establishes itself as the place for innovation for new movements.

Belgium has preserved much evidence of the greatest architectural and artistic movements. The Middle Ages saw cathedrals and belfries spring up, monuments that still grace the Belgian cities of art. Countless châteaux pepper the countryside and Belgium is the country with the most châteaux per km². As for Brussels, in the 20th century, it became the capital of Art Nouveau. All this explains the country's incredible architectural wealth.

The splendid works of the old Flemish painters such as Peter Paul Rubens, Pieter Bruegel, Jan Van Eyck, Antoine Van Dyck, along with more recent artists like Paul Delvaux or René Magritte, are now exhibited in museums all over the world.

The ultimate hub for comics, Belgium is home to the largest concentration of comic book authors in the world. They continue the tradition of Hergé (Tintin), Peyo (Les Schtroumpfs), Edgar P. Jacobs (Blake et Mortimer), Morris (Lucky Luke), Bob De Moor (Barelli, Cori de scheepsjongen), Willy Vandersteen (Suske en Wiske) and many more!

Today, many Belgian talents are making a name for themselves. This is particularly the case on the international music scene with Angèle, Milow, Selah Sue and Hooverphonic. On the big screen, a new generation of directors and actors are frequently recognised with awards including the Palme d'Or at Cannes and the Oscars in Hollywood.

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